Sunday, 5 June 2011

5 Staffel JG 51 Battle of Britain souvenir photos

Pilots of 5./JG 51 assemble for a souvenir group photo at the height of the Battle of Britain. The Staffel was based at Mardyck on the Channel coast during the summer of 1940. This post records the name of the pilots in the Staffel and their eventual fates and victory totals. Only one of this group survived the war.

Back row, from the left, Fw. Friedrich Heimann, KIA on 16 April 1944 in the vicinity of Tarnopol (30 victories), Lt. Hermann Seegatz, shot down and killed on 8 March 1944 while serving with JG 1 (40 vics), Ofw. Rolf Helber, KIA on 24 October 1942 with EJGr.Süd (8 victories), Fw Will Mink, awarded the Knights Cross on 19 March 1942, KIA on 12 March 1945 ( total 72 Luftsiege). Bottow row from the left, Lt. Hans-Joachim Steffens, KIA on 30 July 1941 (22 vics in total), Fw Hermann Aubrecht ( 31 victories and the only pilot in this photo to have survived the war..), Oblt. Hans Kolbow ( RK and KIA on 16 July 1941 with a total of 27 Luftsiege), Lt. Hans Strelow (later awarded the Knight's Cross and subsequently the Oakleaves but KIA on 22 May 1942 with 68 Luftsiege), Fw Otto Tange ( another future Knights Cross winnner), KIA on 30 July 1943. The name of the dog is unfortunately not known, nor is his fate !